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The following is a summary of “Effect of cervical pillow in phacoemulsification surgery for age-related cataract patients: a prospective randomized controlled study,” published in the June 2024 issue of Ophthalmology by Guan et al.

Researchers conducted a prospective study examining the impact of cervical pillows during phacoemulsification surgery for patients with age-related cataracts. 

They enrolled 104 patients with age-related cataracts admitted (June 2023) and divided them into 2 groups using a digital method (52 per group). One group had patients in a traditional supine position, and another used a cervical pillow. Both groups were evaluated for discomfort, patient and doctor satisfaction, head displacement, operation time, and body position times pre- and post-operation. 

The results showed no significant differences between the groups in gender (P=0.84), age (P=0.86), disease duration (P=0.82), and time spent in position placement (P=0.15). The experimental group had lower discomfort scores (P=0.0001), higher patient satisfaction (P=0.0001), and higher doctor satisfaction (P=0.0001) than the control group. No significant difference was observed between intraoperative pain (P=0.36) and postoperative pain (P=0.65). However, the cervical pillow group had significantly fewer head transfers (P=0.001), head shifts (P=0.0001), surgical time (P=0.0001), and laparoscopic time (P=0.0001). 

Investigators concluded that using a cervical pillow for patients with age-related cataracts in the traditional supine position doesn’t prolong preoperative preparation, enhancing patient satisfaction and comfort while maintaining a stable operative field, improving surgeon ease, and potentially reducing operative risks and time.

Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10792-024-03090-0